1. Field
The present invention relates to coverings such as, for example, floorings and, more specifically, to a method according to the preamble to claim 1.
2. State of the Art
Methods of this type, which provide basically for the preparation of a basic web on which particles with a decorative effect are subsequently distributed (xe2x80x9csewnxe2x80x9d) are known in the art as is shown, for example, by EP-A-0 528 059.
In the production of coverings of the type specified above, whether they be floorings based on artificial or synthetic resins (for example, polyvinyl chloride), or rubber-based floorings, it is necessary to take into account technical and production considerations, as well as considerations of an aesthetic nature.
In particular, there is a steady trend towards rendering the appearance of the covering particularly pleasing by coordinated selection of the colour characteristics of the basic web and of the particles distributed thereon.
The selection of the geometrical characteristics of these particles (in practice, their shape and size) and their colour distribution (uniform or variegated coloration) plays an important part in this connection.
In particular, when it is desired to take advantage of the shape and geometry of the particles distributed on the substrate, it may be important to arrange for the particles in question to be distributed in a sufficiently sparse arrangement to prevent or at least to limit overlapping between adjacent particles. This overlapping may in fact make appreciation of the geometrical characteristics of the particles more difficult.
At the same time, however, a sparse arrangement of the particles may give rise to the disadvantage of the presence of fairly extensive and, moreover, unpredictably distributed areas of the basic web in which the number of particles becomes extremely small or is even zero. The limited presence or even absence of particles distributed in some regions of the flooring may be considered undesirable or disagreeable to the user.
The object of the present invention is to provide a solution to this problem.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a method having the specific characteristics recited in the following claims. The invention also relates to a covering which can be produced by the method.